Under the Cover of Destiny
by AQ40
Summary: It was a mental battle for Zelda when it came to letting Link go. She knew that love was inevitable, but so was a silent farewell. Mini one-shot, ZeldaxLink, melancholic. Able to be viewed by all ages.


Under the Cover of Destiny

It was under the cover of destiny that Zelda met Link, and Link met Zelda. It was under the cover of destiny that Link was fated to become the hero and to rescue Hyrule, that Zelda was supposed to be taken away and to be fought for. It were all destinies written before the myriad of time in Hyrule began, it were all meant to be, like a part of a jigsaw puzzle that had to be fixed under every circumstance.

... Or so Zelda thought as she bid the final soundless farewell from her lips after Link was wrapped up in the casket of azure.

He wouldn't have heard her anyway even if she did say it out loud, the tune was already played, there were no more chances left.

It was under the cover of destiny that Zelda was able to allow her friend to leave.

Still holding the navy ocarina in her hands, the princess closed her eyes, and cried.

None of it was fair. Although Link had been mute for the majority of the time, Zelda knew that their bond grew stronger with each swing of the boy's sword. He wouldn't be fighting for so damned long if he didn't have a goal to reach, a goal that worths more than just to save a kingdom from demise. Yet in the end, she had to let him go, despite of what she felt for him, and what he probably felt for her too.

Love.

She couldn't deny that destiny had already screwed her over royally when Link became a young man, but she doubted that thought. Now, looking back on what just happened as she helplessly played the Song of Time, destiny really did intend to screw her over, and right at the beginning as well.

Zelda wept uncontrollably in the midst of her thoughts and the unheard farewell. She said to herself that she could've done a lot better, that if only destiny was to unwind itself back to the start, she would capture Ganondorf, meet Link, and then fall aimlessly in love all over again. The fact that the princess knew that she had so much to say and confess to the boy in green when she didn't, it just killed her over and over again. The ocarina in her hand felt empty and lost, like as if it belonged to a different time, a much younger or earlier time than the space she existed in. Zelda decided, although a little too late, that it would be best to give the memorial blue thing to Link before he left. At least that way the boy had something of Zelda that would remind him of her and make him as depressed as she was this moment.

The liquids just wouldn't stop, but Zelda thought of all that she went through with Link. The harsh times that brought the shadow of conviction over her entire body and kingdom was rescued by the exact person she fell for 7 years later. All right, if she was going to be sad, then so be it. But Link would be happy to see her again in the past, or rather in the time he was supposed to be in. He would see that young and youthful Zelda peering through the cathedral's opulent arch window. Warn her to get as far as possible away from that man of Gerudo blood and scream bloody hell at the guards to capture him and kill him on the spot because he would bring all that would be unholy to everyone, make them into life-sucking brown things, 7 godly years later.

However, Zelda still wanted to be selfish and make Link stay in the future with her. The people are already rescued, Ganondorf sealed away, all wrongs are amended, all but the initial selfishness Zelda harboured to take away the youth and innocence of the young Link. She thought alternatively, if she did indeed convince him to stay, which he would probably be more than happy to oblige to, the Link later in life wouldn't be the same. He wouldn't know what pure happiness is, not even from the love that Zelda was ready to give to him. And-oh-so much she wanted to give to him, she knew that it wouldn't be enough to bring back the true Link from her artificial way of destroying 7 years of his naivety from the past.

The princess sniffed one last time and regained her original state of mind and wisdom. What she hoped for was unjust, and she did the right thing to do anyway. She turned her head and body around to trace her steps back to the castle or to somewhere that reminded her of Link, she stopped, and analyzed. Would it also be unjust if Zelda just gave up her emotions like that, thinking that she did the right thing? It would've been, if she didn't think so much for the residents of Hyrule, and everywhere else. And so she wanted to hit herself, because she was selfish and selfless at the same time.

... A few minutes passed, Zelda looked towards the sky. Partial clouds drifted by on an invisible breeze. Her eyes felt flaky and dry, the tears

long gone and replaced only by longing.

And for a second, the princess sworn that her ears had received the familiar tune again. When she whipped her head around immediately, she noticed that it was only her heart and mind playing tricks on her. Deep down, Zelda knew that he loved her too; she saw his lips move during the send off in the crystal. She knew what he had to say, yet she would always deny what she saw.

Because it would break her heart too much, to even conceive, that she saw him mouth the words, I Love You.


End file.
